EMBA Rated Best Bang for the Buck

The Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) program in the School of Management was rated “Best Bang for the Buck” in the May issue of Washington Business Forward Magazine. The article reviewed the only other local business schools that offer EMBA programs–Georgetown University and George Washington University–as well as the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

George Mason’s EMBA program, founded in 1991, focuses on strategic management and leadership and offers three residencies–two domestic and one international. Students reported that what they liked most about the program is the dedicated faculty and being able to spend a week in study residence at Oxford University.

“Given the all-inclusive tuition fee, this is the best bang for the buck”, says Business Forward. Companies that send the most students through the program are ExxonMobil, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), EDS, Ernst and Young, and AT&T.

EMBA programs offer professionals a way to earn an MBA degree in two years or less while working. Gary Eiloo, senior vice president of SAIC and George Mason EMBA alum, says in the article that the “first semester is particularly tough for rusty students long out of college, and as a result, it’s not unusual for school work outside of class to take from 25-35 hours at first.” The structure of EMBA programs, however, helps students get through it. EMBA students form a cohort of 30 to 50 people who take classes together and form study teams for team projects.

“Integrated learning is a strong feature of EMBAs,” says Sarah Nutter, director of the program. “The classes build on each other, unlike many MBA programs where they’re in no particular order and students are not taking the same classes at the same time. It’s one reason you can accomplish more sooner.”